


The Healing Power of Kumquats

by wandofhawthorn



Series: Ficlet Challenge Meme [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-07
Updated: 2012-08-07
Packaged: 2017-11-11 15:47:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/480177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wandofhawthorn/pseuds/wandofhawthorn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>imjustabitch requested: If Five and Ten went on a date, who would pay the bill and would the date go well?</p><p>5. Luna Lovegood<br/>10. Rory Williams</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Healing Power of Kumquats

**Author's Note:**

> This got a lot more angsty than I originally intended, but that's what happens when I listen to Cinematic Orchestra right before I sit down to write. Rory is a Hufflepuff in Luna's year. This is set about six months after the Battle of Hogwarts. Unbeta'ed.

The scars of battle and terror, while mostly erased from the school in the past six months, were still fresh in Hogsmeade. Graffiti littered the sides of buildings; bright red letters spelling “Mudblood” cursed across store facades in more than just paint. A new cemetery occupied a vacant lot on High Street, charmed bouquets piled high against the iron fence. The headstones were still temporary wooden stakes shoved into new grass.

Rory Williams sat alone on a bench, rolling the end of his yellow and black tie around his finger. It was still warm enough that he didn’t need his cloak, but the chill of the memories clung to his skin and made him shiver. He wasn’t sure why he had decided to come out for the first Hogsmeade weekend. Perhaps because he could hear Amy’s voice if he had stayed in his dormitory.

_Come on, you big idiot, don’t mope inside the castle all day!_

He huffed out a breath. At least in the castle he could pretend that it hadn’t happened, that he was still in fifth year before the world went crazy, and that Harry Potter was still “the Chosen One” instead of “Undesirable Number One” or "The Savior of the Wizarding World". The Ministry had thrown all sorts of money at the school, guaranteeing that it would be rebuilt by his seventh and final year. Rubble had been cleared away in a matter of days, and the formidable towers and turrets rose into the sky before the height of summer. In the village, reminders of war were still around every corner.

“You look sad.”

Rory frowned at the announcement. Looking up from his tie, he realized the speaker had occupied the seat next to him without alerting him. Luna Lovegood stared at him with wide eyes.

“Sorry?” he offered, blinking. He’d never paid much attention to the Ravenclaw girl before the war – she was just another student, albeit a little odd, but not one that garnered much attention. Not when Amy had filled every corner of his mind.

“Try kumquats and cocoa powder,” Luna suggested, her unwavering gaze still fixed upon his face.

“What, together? That sounds terrible.”

“Oh, it is, but it keeps your mind off being sad.”

Rory laughed. When Luna smiled in return, he realized it had been the first time he’d laughed since May. He quickly stifled the sound and frowned again. He wasn’t supposed to be _happy_. Being miserable was easier than being strong and moving on. Moving on meant he accepted what happened; it meant he accepted responsibility for what happened. It had been his fault, after all.

“Tea helps too,” Luna said after a moment. “We should go get some.”

“What, now?”

Fifteen minutes later, Rory found himself walking out of Madam Puddifoot’s with a steaming cup of earl grey. Luna fell into step beside him.

“What was her name?” Luna asked. “That ginger girl you were always with.”

Rory had to clear his throat. “Amy,” he replied, his voice wobbling. He brought the tea to his mouth, wincing as the hot liquid burned his tongue.

“I remember her,” Luna said thoughtfully. “She’s was awfully loud, wasn’t she?”

He stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. This was _his Amy_ she was talking about. Rory was supposed to defend her, to keep her safe, to back her up… He had failed her in life, but he wasn’t about to let some snooty Ravenclaw talk about her like--  

It took him a moment to realize there was no malice behind her words. It took him another to realize she was completely right.

“I suppose she was.” He huffed out a small laugh. He could hear her now, despite her absence. _Oi, I’m not loud. I prefer strong-minded, thank you very much._

“I lost someone too, a long time ago,” Luna said, pulling him away from his thoughts. She looked at him with her head cocked to the side. “It helps when you remember you’re not alone.”

“And when that’s too hard, I suppose I can always fall back on kumquats and cocoa powder, right?”

Luna smiled. Rory tried to return it, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He knew the nightmare would still be there when he closed his eyes; the flash of green light and Amy’s crumbling form and the Death Eater’s wicked smile were tattooed on the insides of his eyelids.

But maybe, just maybe, he didn’t have to deal with it by himself.

 

On Tuesday, Rory received a package at breakfast. He noted the bewildered look on his housemates’ faces when a kumquat rolled onto the table, but he just smiled.


End file.
